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WFHW-LP

WFHW-LP
Channels
Branding
  • WAV-TV 58 (1989–1991)
  • WBCT (We're Buffalo's Community Television) (1991)
  • Community Television from Medaille College (1991–1993)
  • Citizens Television Systems (secondary, 1988–1999)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerCitizens Television System, Inc.
History
FoundedJuly 31, 1985
First air date
July 13, 1989 (1989-07-13)
Last air date
  • October 31, 1999 (1999-10-31)
  • (10 years, 110 days)
Former call signs
W58AV (1989–1996)
Call sign meaning
Friendship House Western New York
Technical information
Facility ID11381
ClassTX
ERP15.1 kW
HAAT186 m (610 ft)
Transmitter coordinates42°52′48″N 78°52′36″W / 42.88000°N 78.87667°W / 42.88000; -78.87667

WFHW-LP (channel 58) was a low-power television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, founded by consumer rights advocate Ralph Nader in summer 1989 as W58AV on UHF 58.[1][2] The station broadcast from the top of the Marine Midland Bank Tower (now Seneca One Tower) in downtown Buffalo, with an initial power of 100 watts (later upgraded to 1000, and finally, 15,100 watts). From the beginning, the station aired a large amount of locally produced fare, with programming from Channel America,[3] as well as a partnership with The Learning Channel.[4] By 1991, the station had partnered up with Medaille College, though this would only last until January 1, 1993.[5]

At some point in the mid-1990s, the station upgraded from translator to LPTV status, and changed its call letters to WFHW-LP after what would become its last operator, the local chapter of the non-profit Friendship House.[6] The station went silent on Halloween in 1999 after the Friendship House ceased operations, several years before the digital television transition in the United States.[7] Channel 58 would not be reissued; it would later be allocated to WJET-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania, as a temporary digital channel prior to the transition, after which it (along with all stations between 52 and 69) would be removed from the television spectrum.

References

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  1. ^ "W58AV   WUTR TV 20   WTUV TV 33   WSYT TV 68  Verifications". radiotimeline.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Marcello, P. C. (2004). Ralph Nader: A Biography. Greenwood Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780313330049. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  3. ^ http://ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/1991/09/09/114987.html [dead link]
  4. ^ "Nader Brings 'Community TV' to Buffalo - New York Times". The New York Times. July 30, 1990. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  5. ^ "CITIZENS TV CHANNEL HERE IS EXPECTED TO GO OFF AIR MEDAILLE COLLEGE BLAMES LACK OF ADVERTISING - The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) | HighBeam Research". highbeam.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  6. ^ "WFHW-LP, channel 58 of Buffalo, NY - TV Station Listing DB by Pro Content and Design". tvstations.procontentanddesign.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  7. ^ Forbes, B. R. "NTIA: Digital TV Transition and Public Safety". ntia.doc.gov. Retrieved October 9, 2014.